*Guest blog*
Ardbeg 10 (09.26.2020)
46% ABV
Purchased: 2021
Price: $55 + tax
Aged: Ex-Bourbon
Qualifications: Non-Chill Filtered and No Color Added
Score: 6. Above Average. Skip to the Review
First, an Introduction
Before we get started, I should probably bring it to your attention that I am not, in fact, Whisky Against Humanity. He has graciously given me the privilege of writing up this whisky review and posting here. He is currently in the process of moving to a different state, so I thought I would fill in and give my thoughts until he gets resettled in his new space. And who knows, maybe I’ll continue to throw in my two
cents every now and again…
My handle is WhiskytheGathering, and I am Whisky Against Humanity’s brother. I am relatively early in my whisky journey (2-3 years), but have been feverishly consuming whisky content on the internet (and perhaps the whisky itself, safely and responsibly, of course!). I am an avid fan of many YouTube channels and blogs and have been thinking of branching into that space for myself. Whisky Against Humanity and I do a blind whisky lineup for each other every other week, where we both get to try things that we do not own, and truly put our palates, noses, and preferences to the test. Blind tastings are one of my favorite things to do in the whisky world. But I think I’ll save any additional details about those experiences for another time. Let’s get to the musings already, shall we?
Actually…. no, not yet. Sorry.
For you to understand where I’m coming from, some additional context may be helpful. My first “Oh, wow” whisky moment that I recall, was a peated scotch. Specifically, it was Ardbeg UigeadaiI. It was bold, fruity, ashy, and wow was it good. It really opened my eyes to what this stuff could be, and very likely was the hook I needed to take the dive myself into scotch. From there, Ardbeg became my flagship. I picked up my own Uigeadail and a Corryvreckan. And since then, I have picked up every committee release as it’s come out, Traigh Bhan Batch 1, several other bottles and even shelled out for a committee bottling of Dark Cove and an Ardbeg 21. It’s safe to say that I’m a fan. I’ve certainly come to love and appreciate all types of whiskies, but Ardbeg has a soft spot in my heart. Ok, now let’s muse.
Sinking Ship or Nostalgia Trip?
I have heard it all regarding Ardbeg. Rants from the “Cult of Ardbeg” defending what they believe is the greatest distillery on earth, to the naysayers parading that Ardbeg has lost its way. For the latter, the reasons include the quality of its products, the prices and/or its marketing. I do not believe there is currently a more divisive distillery in scotch whisky. I’d like to point out that I am not here to defend either side, and I am largely just thinking out loud. As with most things, the answer is somewhere in the middle.
I think it’s clear that Ardbeg has taken a unique approach as a distillery. It certainly isn’t presenting itself as a distillery that is quite as steeped in tradition and elegance as most others do. It has definitely placed a more modern take and approach to most of its offerings. Between releasing whiskies named Ardcore and Fermutation, to selling NFT tickets, to burying whisky barrels in a peat bog to age them, to publishing their own comic book line, it can certainly be a kind of culture shock to a typical scotch drinker. All these things, along with the perceived decline in quality and rising prices, make Ardbeg an easy distillery to grumble about.
I want to specifically focus on the quality aspect though. Regarding the gimmicks, each person’s mileage will vary. You’ll love it, hate it, or be indifferent, but that’s not what matters though, is it? The only thing that really matters is, “How good is the whisky in the bottle?”
To be clear, I don’t doubt that the quality has in fact declined in recent years. I have heard many, many times that the 10 year isn’t what it used to be, and while I haven’t had any old Ardbeg 10 bottlings, I’ll take their word for it and believe them. What I do not believe, is that this is solely due to cutting corners, penny pinching, or generally pessimistic decisions on the part of Ardbeg. There are tough decisions that have needed to be made the last few years. The scotch whisky boom over the last decade has undoubtedly put pressure on the available filled casks. To keep product available, many distilleries have been pressured to release more product than they initially planned when the spirit was distilled. Which means their available stock gets spread a little bit thinner as they continue to release product to meet demand until they can catch back up again, which as we know, takes years. It’s not unrealistic to think that the 10 year old might have had some older stock in it, and they just don’t have the same proportions of stock to make it the way they once did, solely due to the fact that they want their product to be available to the average consumer.
One could also argue that they don’t need to increase production. They could continue the course, making the “better” whisky, in less volume than current demand. Meanwhile, their batches would sell out immediately, making it unattainable to most people, ala Springbank. This would cost them quite a lot of money in missed sales, potentially allowing competitors to gain market share. And when it comes down to it, they are a for-profit business. If this is indeed a part of the problem, it’s difficult for me to blame a distillery for having to choose between a rock and a hard place. It is certainly a tight spot to be in when the product you make takes at least 10 years to produce. The whole industry is having to make these decisions, and many people believe existing core ranges are getting worse across the board. Maybe I’m wrong and Ardbeg is deliberately cutting corners and pinching pennies in the name of profit. We as consumers do not really have any way of knowing. But for now, I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. A rookie move, I’m sure.
But the real question is, how much has the quality really declined? Is the decline so much that it is just fine to write it all off and forget about it? Maybe. I am not writing this to try and convince anyone of any specific agenda. You are working through your own journey just like the rest of us. And if that journey has taken you beyond Ardbeg, or any distillery for that matter, that’s ok. The next question I found myself pondering is: Does a perceived general sense of decline inherently mean that all newer bottles are not worth the time? I think most of us would tend to say no. However, I think that subconsciously thinking ‘yes’ is a surprisingly easy trap to fall into. Think of all the Gen X’ers and Boomers (terms of endearment, I promise!) who will loudly proclaim to whomever will listen that not a single good band has come around since 1978. Or 1994. Or 2010. They believe that the music of today is worse than it has ever been. Is that true? Is quality music a thing of the past? I certainly don’t believe so. There are many, many great bands/artists around today. You may need to figure out where to look, but I promise they’re out there, no matter your musical taste. There is more music being made now than ever before. The same goes for whisky. Is every band, or whisky release even, going to think of you as its target audience? No. Will there still be great whisky coming out? I think it’s safe to say that yes, there is plenty of great whisky to come. Even from Ardbeg.
I guess what I’m leading myself to ask is, could there perhaps be a sliver of nostalgia involved in any of this? And if so, how big is it? Scotch whisky is inherently tied into tradition and the olden days. So much so that I think it can be easy to get lost in “Back in my day”-ism, especially with all of the other things available that you can hang your “pessimist” hat on, like price, marketing, availability, naturality, etc. I think it can be helpful to remember to self-examine your approach from time to time, not only towards whisky, but towards any hobby, or maybe even life in general. If for no other reason than to make sure that you aren’t hampering your own experiences with a belief system that has evolved over time to not truly represent you anymore. If you do self-examine, and you come to the same conclusions you already believed in, that’s great! At least you took the time to fully appreciate your journey and make sure you weren’t overly limiting your possible experiences. At the end of the day, if we are being fair to ourselves and the whisky, all we can really do is judge the product that is coming out today and let it speak for itself. And most of the time, it still seems pretty good to me. Now let’s get to the juice.
The Review
Nose: Lemon/citrus spritz, with sea salt and rubber, with a vanilla and light caramel coating, all rolled up in burnt bandages. Very good.
Palate: More honey and fruit on the palate than on the nose. Sea salt into a rich smoke. Big flavors, easy to chew on whisky. Great weight and mouthfeel. Reminiscent thought of a sweet chili mango barbeque sauce. Creamier than one would expect at first glance. This is where Ardbeg 10 truly shines for me. Wonderful.
Finish: Sufficiently long, billowing bonfire smoke up front. Sea salt is still present. An earthy delight. Fruit dissipates here somewhat. Enjoyable. 6/10. Above Average.
Whisky Against Humanity 
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